Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Mohamed Salah remains Liverpool’s main man in his eighth season on Merseyside and continues to reach new heights.

With the Egyptian out of contract this summer, the Reds will do everything in their power to keep him at the club for at least a few more years alongside Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

As of January 2nd 2025, Salah tops the Premier League charts for goals and assists as the 2024-25 season has reached its halfway point, and is producing performance levels that are just simply unheard of for a player of his age.

Here, we will be taking a closer look into why the Liverpool forward should be the nailed-on favourite for the Ballon D’or in 2025, the most prestigious individual award for a footballer.

RECORDS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

Mohamed Salah has taken the Premier League by storm at the second attempt.

Formerly of Chelsea in 2014, the forward struggled to make a significant impact and needed successive loan spells in Italy, before returning to England with Liverpool in 2017.

Fast forward eight seasons, 375 games and 231 goals later, Salah has cemented himself as a Liverpool legend and sits 4th on the club’s all-time top goalscorers list, whilst setting a ton of records along the way.

In his debut season at Anfield, he contributed a stunning 44 times in all competitions and won the Premier League’s Golden Boot, breaking the record for most goals scored in a single 38-game season with 32.

But, this record has now been broken again by the machine that is Erling Haaland, with 36 goals for Manchester City in 2022-23.

In the Reds’ 5-0 rout over West Ham United last weekend, Salah struck his 20th goal of the season, a tally that he has reached in every campaign with Liverpool.

He also became the quickest player to reach 30 Premier League goal contributions, achieving this feat in one game fewer than former striker, Luis Suarez, who needed 19 matches.

Right now, Liverpool’s ‘Egyptian King’ is performing at an unprecedented level.

Salah’s minutes per goal involvement has him on track for the greatest Premier League season ever, as things stand.

At 53 minutes, the forward surpasses Gabriel Jesus’ 2016-17 season of 59 minutes.

THE MOST DISRESPECTED PLAYER IN WORLD FOOTBALL?

Mohamed Salah has always felt admiration from the Liverpool supporters, with the Kop chanting his name each week, but many will feel aggrieved that their Egyptian King is not held in the same respect to the wider footballing world.

For a large period of his Liverpool career, Salah’s performances have been swept under the carpet by supporters of rival clubs, or highly regarded names in the sport.

When conversations occur for players who are considered ‘best in the world’, he never seems to appear in that category despite being a consistent performer for one of the top teams.

For example, the Egyptian was overlooked for the 30-man Ballon D’or shortlist in 2024, which sent the Liverpool fan base into a frenzy, after the forward racked up 39 goals and assists in all competitions last season.

Whilst Liverpool won the Carabao Cup, this may have been a detriment to Salah as team achievements over the calendar year are often seen as one of the deciding factors.

Salah’s best ever finish in the Ballon D’or rankings was 5th place in 2019, behind teammates Sadio Mane (3rd) and Virgil van Dijk, who was the runner-up to Lionel Messi, despite Liverpool winning the UEFA Champions League that year, defeating Messi’s Barcelona on the road to European glory.

HOW SALAH COMPARES TO BALLON D’OR RIVAL

It will be tough to find players on the same pedestal as Mohamed Salah this season and right now, he is putting many top attackers to shame.

He has already equalled Vinicius Junior’s output of last season, where many felt that he should have been Ballon D’or winner, after winning both La Liga and UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, and scoring the goal that sealed victory in the final.

Mohamed Salah 2024-25 vs Vinicius Junior 2023-24:

Games: (26/40)

Starts: (24/36)

Goals: (20/25)

Assists: (17/12)

it is not far fetched to predict Salah to finish on double the number of goals and assists that Vinicius tallied last year.

Whilst the Egyptian is yet to win silverware this season, there lies a very good chance as Liverpool have a six-point lead at thePremier League summit, with a game in hand, whilst boasting a 100-per-cent win record in the Champions League.

PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE IS MAIN PRIORITY

When asked post-match following the convincing victory over West Ham, Salah immediately shut down talk of the Ballon D’or, suggesting that full focus is on winning the Premier League title with Liverpool.

“The only thing on my mind, to be fair, is that I want Liverpool to win the league and I just want to be part of that.

That’s the only thing I’ve really focused on since the beginning of the season.”

Liverpool are flying high on all fronts and supporters hope that Salah’s contract will be extended beyond the current campaign.

The Egyptian will look to maintain his Ballon D’or worthy form when Liverpool host Manchester United, this Sunday 5th January, the Reds’ opening game to 2025.

Salah holds the record for most goals and most assists in this fixture over the Premier League era, despite having to wait a whole three years for his first goal contribution against the Red Devils, arriving in 2020.

If Mohamed Salah was to win the Ballon D’or this year, then he would become only the second African player since George Weah in 1995, to take home football’s most wanted individual prize.

Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone?
For more news relating to West Ham, visit our sister site WHU Latest Live.